Finding Time

Chapter 7 - Demi Space 2018

The girls rehearsed all day. Finally, it came to be around noontime. The girls dressed up Demi's hair and put her in a glittering gown, courtesy of Mr. Skylar.

"You're so lucky" chimed Eleanor. "Maybe you'll be Mrs. Skylar. You won't forget about us won't you?"

"I don't know. Since you didn't come to David's funeral" sassily remarked Demi. Then she stopped, putting her hand over her mouth.

"Eleanor, I'm really sorry. I just put it in the back of my mind. I can't believe I was so inconsiderate" said Demi, turning to Eleanor.

Eleanor growled.

"I thought you would not bring that up again. You promised me you wouldn't. You know what? Go enjoy your night Cinderella. You sure as hell do not deserve it."

Eleanor stormed off.

A guilt seeped deep into Demi's stomach. Surely Eleanor would forgive her... right?

Mabel and Rachel gave her looks before following Eleanor down the hall.

To be honest, there is nothing worse than knowing your brother is a school shooter. There can be nothing more mortifying, more horrendous, and more hateful to oneself than when you realize the one you loved, would kill 12 of your own classmates.

She couldn't think of it. Ever since that day, she had pushed it completely back in her mind. Her friends did understand that Demi could not acknowledge it readily without going into an extreme psychotic meltdown. They had taught her to deal with it. Stayed with her at her house at the wee hours of the night for sleepovers. Demi was lucky. More lucky than she deserved. Yet in her mind, she knew there would never be a complete acknowledgement - a way of going back to the way things were.

School shootings just don't happen anywhere except America. At least, that's how it was in England for a while. Strict gun laws. The only possible incident would be a terrorist attack. Which would make sense in the discovery of the evidence afterward. What did the family know. What did the friends know. What kind of internet history he left behind.

Unfortunately, there was no evidence to prove that David had become a terrorist. There was some reblogging of Islam quotes, but those were also found alongside quotes about Communism, Fascism, and Christianity on his tumblr blog. There were posts of guns on his Facebook page. There was knowledge that he was being bullied. Any behavior disorders? Only ADHD, and he had stopped taking his meds when he was 13. There was nothing. Nothing to go on.

David killed Eleanor's middle sister of 3. Eleanor was completely shocked by the news, and angry at her friend. Her mother tried to console her, to tell her that the only way Demi would recover. Which she did manage to do, a year later.

Demi, however, could not be helped by anyone. She kept asking her mother when her brother was coming home, and at some point they told her that her brother went missing. This satisfied her, until she would bring it up again. Mrs. Spencer would cry, put her hand up in the air, and say that it was not something to talk about. That's how Demi stopped mentioning her brother. That is why she never acknowledged it.

Demi clutched her stomach, and her eyes seemed to close as if she would black out. Yet she stumbled, and recovered. Why was she crying? Demi couldn't remember. She was pretty. She was going to meet Luke.

She went down the hall to the elevator. There the doorman greeted her.

"Mrs. Spencer" he said, nodding.

She stepped in, and the doors closed. She closed her eyes, until the doors opened once more.

There was a large party. Groups congregated in bundles with glittering champagne and wine glasses. The women looked lovely. The men wore straight tuxes.

Fireworks popped in the sky. They glittered on her dress. People slowly began to turn, and saw Demi walking down the path. They murmured for the dress reflected every spectrum of light, making her glow.

Luke stood under the promenade. He turned when he saw her, and his eyes seemed to pop out of his head. He dropped his drink.

People around him laughed, and he shrugged it off too.

Demi met him. She curtseyed. He bowed.

The celebrities on the ship were unable to tell whether or not they were being filmed, but they had some idea of the crucial moments of the filming. This was no exception.

He took her hand, and kissed it.

Wild music began, starting with animal cries and then samba music.

A tamed elephant appeared on the ship being ridden by a woman with a sparkly blue dress, followed by tigers, monkeys, zebras being led by their own trainers intermittently with dancers and performers. There were parade floats and dressed people who reached out of their bags to throw beads at the excited crowd.

After viewing the floats, he led her away to the top deck where the pool bar sat. They bought their drinks, and then sat down with a few celebrities and others. There was Keira Dunst - the actress talking to Emma Swift, director Guermillo Spielberg, and singer Bono Williams.

They went a bit beyond them to sit down in the star viewing deck just behind. There, they could see the stars from outer space, the shimmering glow of the planet, and the brightness of the moon beyond.

Demi stared in awe and wonder at it all. A single tear spilled down her cheek.

"It's so beautiful. I just wish that my friend were here to see it" she said.

"Which one?"

"Eleanor. I casually brought up my brother and she got angry."

"Who's your brother?"

"David Spencer."

"The David Spencer? The one that shot up his high school and killed 43 people?"

The world started to spin. She held her head and started to moan.

"Hey. It's okay. You are not your brother. You do not have to feel guilty about it but understand."

Luke held Demi close to her.

Emma stood nearby gawking.

She dropped her glass, shattering it the floor.

"He killed Reina."

She stepped closer to Luke and Demi, now sitting up in their seats. Emma shook her finger at Demi.

"You are mental. Do you understand that? If you are related to a brother like that, you should be in a mental institution. You should not be allowed to be in a place where you can hurt someone else."

"You're a bitch. I wish he killed you instead!" yelled Demi.

Then Demi lurched. Oh god, she lost it again. She was so good at retaining her composure before, but now she couldn't stop herself. Demi always operated on levels of varying emotional maturity, but wishing death on someone - that was truly crossing the line.

Emma ran off. Luke went after her.

Demi stared at the seat where he had been. She looked at the stars, at the glowing Earth, and the moon. To think things had been going so well, and she let one moment show her insecurity. He would surely dump her now.

Eventually he came back. He looked angrier than ever.

"I can't believe you would hurt her. She's my friend. I don't think we should be hanging out together anymore" he said.

He turned. Stomping away.

Demi cried and cried. She cried so hard until the stars began to melt to the moon. She prayed to God, to anyone who would listen, that she would die for being such a horrible person.

Then she dozed off into a sleep. There was stars, and exploding fireworks that sounded like bombs.